Ralph Macchio’s Kids: Meet ‘Cobrai Kai’ Star’s Daughter & Son

Ralph Macchio has been a beloved actor for generations. After breakout performances in hits like The Outsiders, he starred as Daniel in the blockbuster hit The Karate Kid in 1984, which has since become a classic 80s film. While he’s appeared in a wide array of other movies and TV shows, he returned to the role of Daniel for the hit TV series Cobra Kai in 2018, and it’s adored by fans who have grown up with the original movie and newcomers alike.

In 1987, Ralph, 60, married his wife Phyliss Fierro, and the pair have been together ever since. The couple have two children Julia, 30, and Daniel, 26. The Karate Kid star has been open about how happy he’s been to see his kids experience his success firsthand. “To bring something that was such a big part of my life 35 years ago, and see it be such a present part of their lives today, it’s really wonderful,” he told People in a January 2021 interview. Find out everything you need to know about Ralph’s two kids here!

Julia Macchio

Ralpha and Phyliss welcomed their first daughter Julia after five years of marriage in 1992. Julia has followed in her dad’s footsteps and become an actress herself. She’s starred in a few different projects like the comedies Girl Most Likely and Stella’s Last Weekend. Julia said she had always been acting since she was a child in a January interview with People. “I used to act out Disney movies in our house. It was something that was in my blood,” she said.

 While she’s taken on a few roles on her own, she has gotten to work alongside her dad in a season four episode of Cobra Kai. After she appeared, she posted a series of photos celebrating her role on Instagram. “I’m so beyond grateful to have worked with/been in the company of such an incredible cast, crew and team. Extra big thanks to the wonderful writers for the opportunity to join the party,” she wrote. While it’s not clear if “Cousin Vanessa” will reappear in any other episodes of the Netflix series, Ralph did rave about her performance in the People interview. “I was the proud father on set that day. As soon as she ran our first take, everybody was like, ‘Holy crap, she’s got this character,'” he said.

Daniel Macchio

Daniel was born in 1996. While it’s surely obvious to any fan of The Karate Kid franchise, Ralph’s son was named at least partially after his character from the classic movie. “My wife and I love the name Daniel. Her cousin and good friend growing up’s name was Daniel,” he said in a Tonight Show interview. “My son—I think—is proud of it.” He also shared a story about a Little League coach making a joke about the name when his son fell in a game. He said the other team’s coach shouted, “Down goes LaRusso.”

Like his sister, Daniel also followed in his dad’s footsteps into the entertainment industry, but he clearly has a slightly different path than acting. While he’s dabbled in performing in projects like Songs for the Drowning and the short Across Grace Alley, most of Daniel’s work is behind the scenes. Primarily, he’s been a composer for different projects like Famous James as well as the upcoming filmer Badger, per IMDb.

Daniel is also clearly very close with his dad. He’s shared lots of photos of himself with the Cobra Kai star on his Instagram, including the father and son bonding at different events like hockey games or events for the Netflix series. He’s also shared the Cobra Kai trailer to his Instagram, so he’s clearly very proud of his dad.